Finding Camaraderie
by Erithil
Summary: Kakashi overtaxed himself on a mission. But he refused to go to the hospital because it’s Tuesday and he always met Iruka for dinner on Tuesdays. A Kakashi & Iruka friendship fic.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: First attempt at writing Naruto fanfiction, and a multi-chaptered one at that. (nervous smile) Hope it'll turn out alright. Do tell me what you think, especially if any of the characters are OOC.

Well, read, and hopefully enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters mentioned are created by Masashi Kishimoto.

**On Tuesday Nights**

Kakashi glared at his bed.

The bed, as furniture was wont to do, just sat there and cheerfully ignored him.

He narrowed his eyes and glared harder, quite certain that the waves of murderous intent were rolling quite nicely off him in lethal dosages.

But the bed didn't even flinch. It was exactly as he had left it on the day he had gone away on his mission-solidly planted in the center of his room, neatly made with the pillow placed in the exact center against the headboard, blankets spread over smoothed sheets with only one crease in the center where he had set his pack down to fix the angle of his hitai-ate just before leaving.

And that crease was starting to seriously annoy him. Curving up like that, like a warm inviting smile, beckoning him to come closer, whispering promises of the much-needed relief and sweet release of slumber…

Kakashi jerked himself out of the trance with a quick shake of his head, letting out a soft snort of disdain that he was actually having a battle-of-wills with his bed.

He sighed, rubbing at his uncovered eye tiredly. The mission hadn't been especially difficult or very long for an A-rank one, but he had run into complications on the way back. A couple of unfriendly characters, that was all, nothing he couldn't handle. But they had forced him into using his Sharingan a bit too much for his liking and with little chance to rest properly in days, he had to admit he wasn't feeling too good.

The jounin eyed the bed longingly. He was exhausted, his limbs felt oddly leaden and weak. His chakra was running terribly low, he could feel it within him, flickering like a guttering candle flame in a strong wind. Truth be told, he was starting to think he should have gone to the hospital after reporting to the Hokage after all.

_But it's Tuesday night, damnit!_ He straightened abruptly, turning his back on the bed resolutely and fumed.

Tuesday nights were 'Sake and Dinner nights with Iruka-sensei' for goodness sake! Marked out in his mental calendar in red and triple underlined.

He wouldn't miss it.

Especially now, when there were so few of these Tuesday nights left.

Chasing that depressing thought out of his mind with a deep breath, he strode purposefully to the bathroom, slipping off his hitai-ate. Pulling off his mask as well, he peered blearily into the mirror over the sink. His reflection peered back wearily at him with mismatched eyes, a thin young man with dark shadows under his eyes, face pale under a layer of grime.

He grimaced, closing his eyes briefly. His eyes ached, a dull pain that throbbed in time with the headache that was building at the back of his head. He rubbed the back of his neck absently and coughed. Sand Country was known for its harsh terrain and extreme climates and the weather hadn't been exactly cooperative with the sandstorm that had sprung up while he was there. Kakashi coughed again, biting off a curse in dismay. It'll be such a nuisance to be coming down with something when he was trying to recover his chakra.

The hospital was starting to look real appealing.

_Not now!_ He told himself angrily. It was only a little cold. Besides, he really wanted to meet Iruka for dinner.

The chunin, unlike him, was a decent person. Nice and normal, as normal as a shinobi living in a hidden village could be. But Kakashi knew the Academy teacher was different in an intrinsic way from him and his comrades.

Comrades, for he didn't think he could see the other jounins as friends.

Sure, he respected of them, worked well with them, risked his life to protect them if the need arises but he had never felt compelled to seek out their company. When jounins got together, they talked about their missions, new weapons or jutsus they've acquired, made casual conversations of rumors of dangers to Konoha…things that came a little too close to the actual bloody fieldwork they all had to face on a regular basis.

It wasn't the bloodshed or the killings which was central to his profession that bothered him. He wasn't squeamish like that or had psychological after-effects of this sort. On a mission, he always knew what he was doing. He made all his choices with a clear calculated mind, killed with purpose and intent. There really wasn't much of a choice between a few nameless people- be they ninja, women or children-and the safety of the entire village. They must protect their own because no one else would. It wasn't even the knowledge that every time he leaves the village may be the last time he'll ever see it again either. His own mortality did not particularly worry him. No self-respecting ninja ever wanted to die old in bed anyway.

What disturbed him the most was that the others reminded him too much of his place in this societal structure of theirs, that him-along with the other jounins-were nothing but weapons honed by careful instructions and past experiences to be quick, competent and deadly. It frightened him sometimes to be so focused and intent on the mission, he had forgotten why it was so important in the first place. In those sudden moments, he felt his insides freeze up in ice and something chokes his throat so bad he had to pause to regain his breath.

This lack of purpose, lack of identity, this great _nothingness_ where his sense of being was supposed to be was downright terrifying.

Listening to the other jounins, remembering the emptiness…it made him feel so alone, sometimes.

But Iruka was different. He was a shinobi too but his world was filled with lectures, childish pranks, ink and parchments. Mundane everyday things, sweet in their simplicity, reassuring in their constancy, a sense of stability that was at odds with the high tension danger-at-every-turn kind of life he led. He was glad to learn about these things, knowing that life went on in the village while he was away.

Besides, talking with Iruka was comfortable. And comfortable was good when sometimes he was so cold inside he could barely feel. He would listen to the cadence of his companion's voice over hot soup or sake as the chunin related in delight some child's progress or shook his fist at another student's transgressions, and the ice inside him would melt a bit.

The chunin really cared for his students and guided them with a firm but caring hand. Not like him, Kakashi thought with an inward chuckle, who was tough and unrelenting on his charges and took a frightful amount of perverse pleasure at witnessing their suffering. Listening to Iruka talk, he sometimes felt like he was a cynical bastard who has grown old before his time. But regardless, it made him happy to hear the teacher speak for it filled him with this wonderful warmth of companionship and reminded him of the precious things that they were all, in one way or another, working hard to protect.

It was nice, really, as if he had a friend.

Almost as if he was still human enough to deserve such things as friends.

That was why, right now, after days of being away on a solo mission, where his world had been narrowed down to only survival and mission, he didn't think he would like to stay alone in the bleak hospital just yet.

With a sigh, he stepped into the stall and turned on the faucet for a quick shower. The wound on his side where a stray kunai had embedded itself stung under the water, reminding him of its presence quite suddenly and made him frown. Once the shower was completed, he dried off and sat down, carefully peeling back the field dressing he had slapped hastily over the injury. The gash was deep and had bled rather insistently. But he was sure it hadn't hit anything vital and had managed to stop the bleeding, so he had forgotten about it.

Now the skin surrounding the wound was starting to swell and turn red, sure signs of inflammation. Kakashi pursed his lips, probing the wound cautiously with gentle fingers. He really should go to the hospital.

_Ah well…maybe after dinner… _

With that decided, he covered the wound with fresh gauze and dressed himself, pulling his hitai-ate and mask back in place. Glancing at the clock sitting beside the photograph he had taken with his young charges of Team 7 on his bedside table, he realized he should get going if he didn't want to be _too_ late.

He had barely taken a step towards the door when a wave of dizziness struck him unexpectedly. Kakashi swayed, reaching out blindly to grasp something to steady himself but only succeeded in crashing into the table and knocking the lamp to the ground. The room blurred and spun crazily around him.

All of a sudden, the floor was looking a lot closer than it did a second ago.

_Must this really have to happen on a Tuesday night? _

And with that last plaintive thought, his world faded into darkness.


	2. Waiting

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I do have sort of an idea where this is going, and trust me, it's nowhere spectacular…heh heh…(sheepish laugh) Yeah, so thank you all for reading and leaving me reviews; I'm so encouraged by them.

To Zenna: Nope, not fed up with your review at all. I enjoyed reading it very much. I haven't been in the Naruto fandom for very long so I don't feel I've got a good grasp of the characters yet…I'm deathly afraid mauling these characters beyond recognition. (shudder) Besides, it's always interesting to hear the views of others on them. So babble away! I most certainly don't mind. (grin)

Now, the next chapter…

**Waiting**

"Your friend sure is late tonight."

"Huh? What?" Iruka looked up from the paper he was grading, startled. The clock on the wall of the restaurant read nine o'clock and a glance out of a nearby window showed the half-moon already a good way on its journey up the sky. Blinking, he looked around at the small eatery. The tables which were busy with the cheerfully noisy dinner crowd when he had come in earlier were now mostly empty.

'The Rice Bowl' was a quaint little restaurant, popular for its good food and casual homely charm. Iruka had sometimes been amazed at how it enjoyed a seemingly endless stream of customers at meal times. But now the place was quiet, with only a few patrons lingering over their sake and talking in low comfortable voices. The fact that the chef could spare the time to come over for a chat too showed that the work in the kitchen had slowed down from the usually frenzied pace.

He turned to the owner and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, he is." Suddenly, realizing he hadn't ordered anything but had occupied a table the entire evening-a table he was sure the owner would have liked to see in use by paying customers-he blushed hotly. "Dear me! I'm so sorry! I thought I'll grade some papers while I wait but it seems like I've lost track of time myself." His blush deepened as his stomach gave a loud growl at that moment, as if to support his point.

The old man laughed good-naturedly, making the wrinkles on his wizened face crinkle. He shook his head, dismissing the apology. "It's getting late. I guess you had better eat while you wait. You'll be having the usual?"

Iruka nodded and thanked him profusely. He started shuffling papers together to put them into his bag as the owner left to prepare his meal. He looked at the moon again and frowned thoughtfully. It wasn't like Kakashi to be _this_ late.

Sure, he knew the Copy Ninja was infamous for his tardiness, having heard the complaints loudest from Naruto almost everyday and having some grumbles of his own when it came to the late submission of mission reports. But the jounin had never been more than an hour late to their weekly dinner meetings. To be more than two hours late meant he was probably not coming.

Iruka took a slow sip of his tea, his frown deepened. Frankly, he was a little miffed Kakashi had not called the school or left a message with the restaurant to tell him he was not coming. He knew his dining companion was back from his mission that day although he had class at the time and was not manning the missions desk when Kakashi had returned. But later, he had seen the tag under Kakashi's name flipped from 'Away' to 'Home' on the activity chart in the Hokage's room and filed the dog-eared, mud-splattered, sad excuse of a mission report written in the jounin's surprisingly elegant hand himself. So he knew Kakashi was back and they had an unspoken agreement that if they were both in the village on Tuesday nights, they would meet for dinner. It had been a habit of sorts for a few months now.

His food arrived, piping hot and emanating the most delicious aroma. The chef beamed at Iruka's effusive praises, wiping his hands on his apron self-consciously. The chunin smiled fondly as he watched the stooped form of the old man totter back to his chores in the kitchen, marveling a little that their weekly dinner routine had gone on for as long as it did to allow him to be this familiar with the owner.

As he turned his attention to his meal, Iruka found his thoughts turning to how the Tuesday night dinner meetings had started. Frankly, he had been surprised Kakashi would even deigned to speak to him at all after the way the jounin had answered him so coldly and arrogantly during the chunin exam nomination assembly. He himself was too annoyed at the jounin to risk speech without saying something scathing anyway.

_His soldiers? Indeed!_ Iruka rolled his eyes, shoveling a mouthful of rice and vegetable into his mouth with an angry flick of his chopsticks. It still made his blood boil a little whenever he remembered that scene, the detached calm with which the jounin had regarded him, as if he was no more than a mild nuisance that could be easily dismissed, and the way the callous words just rolled off his tongue casually, like he couldn't care less about anything or anyone.

To think that his poor students, fresh out of school and still so young and naïve of the harsh realities of their world, thrown under the tutelage of this unfeeling, demanding jerk of a jounin-sensei…it just made his heart flutter with worry and his stomach clench tight in anger.

That day, at the nomination assembly, he had been furious and it took all the self-control he had honed over the years of dealing with too many inattentive and rowdy students to not lash out at the man. It helped a little as well, to have the Sandaime look at him with that hint of sadness in his wise grey eyes, disappointed that the loud, brash, quick-tempered boy still lurked so close to the surface after they've both worked so hard to get him to grow into a respectable, responsible young shinobi who had more sense to know that there were better ways to resolve problems than arguments.

So he had clamped his mouth shut, and stood rigid, back straight and head held high, choosing instead to channel his rage by glaring wrathfully at the Copy Ninja.

Later, even after administering his own tests to evaluate Team 7's abilities, he was still angry. But it could not be denied that the jounin's assessment of their capabilities was accurate. In these few short months, they had grown up, grown away from him, he realized with a small pang of sadness. Kakashi was right, they were indeed ready for the chunin exams and the dangers of the trials were exactly what they needed to further improve themselves. He had admitted this grudgingly and perhaps a little resentfully when he met up with the jounin on the sloping rooftop of the Academy that night.

He had expected him to mock, coming outright to say some snide remark with an overbearing air of superiority about knowing the limits of one's station, or implied wordlessly by putting a hint of an 'I-told-you-so' smirk into his trademark happy smile.

But the jounin surprised him yet again when he did neither. He had listened as Iruka recounted the tests he did on Team 7, his expression was one of bored disinterest, but Iruka had noted the blue eye under the half-closed lid was alert, fixed unwaveringly on him as he considered his words with respectful attention.

Then, the Copy Ninja had admitted that children this age grow into their potential very quickly and that Iruka had no way of knowing how much they had progressed in the past months. It was the sort of kind, polite thing that one usually said in this sort of conversations. But Iruka was amazed when the jounin went on to acknowledge that an academy teacher would have a different perspective on the students which might be useful in helping to guide their development in the months to come.

Spoken not in a patronizing way, but rather, in a simple matter-of-fact manner that had the chunin warming to the other man involuntarily.

Kakashi had smiled most genially and suggested they talk more over dinner.

He was still slightly put out with the jounin, but if Kakashi could be gracious then so could he. To still hold on to his anger would be plain childish. So he agreed.

Dinner was stilted and uncomfortable but he got to hear much about Team 7's progress and what Naruto had been up to. Although he would never admit it to anyone, Iruka knew he was overprotective of all his students, especially Naruto whom he always thought of with a mixture of amused exasperation and big-brotherly concern. Sure he still met up with him often but it was clear that the boy was growing up fast, changing while Iruka stayed the same, building a life for himself which his former sensei had little, if any, role in.

He knew it was silly, but he couldn't help feel a tiniest bit that he was being abandoned.

So when Kakashi had protested laughingly that he couldn't possibly learn everything about his three charges over the course of one dinner, he agreed to another dinner meeting, then another, and another…until a routine was formed, regular as clockwork.

Iruka smiled, swallowing the last of his meal and took a small sip of his sake, amused at the unexpected way things had turned out. Through their weekly dinners, he had unwittingly come to know more about Hatake Kakashi too.

That absentminded smile and nonchalant attitude belied a mind that was sharp and intelligent, fitting of the formidable ninja legends claim him to be. After their first couple of dinner meetings, Iruka had the distinct impression that Kakashi kept these appointments more for the academy teacher's sake than for any real need to learn more about the children. Their teaching methods were different, their beliefs about the best way to deal with the students were also dissimilar, but as it was clear at the chunin nominations, the jounin was an experienced, capable teacher in his own rights and had a good understanding of his students already. There was only so much one can learn about one's students from their ex-teacher anyway.

But the shrewd man seemed to have picked up on Iruka's worries about Naruto growing away from him. He never made any mention of it, but made it a point to share information about the missions Team 7 had done in the past week, some of the funnier incidents the lively blond had gotten into, little anecdotes like snapshots of Naruto's life carefully recorded and brought out to share during these dinner meetings. Iruka thought he might be embarrassed and disgruntled that the jounin took it upon himself to accommodate his insecurities, but he found he was touched by the small show of kindness instead.

Kakashi was indeed a surprising man. The academy teacher was also starting to understand what made the jounin speak so harshly at the chunin nominations that day. It was not because he was arrogantly thought it appropriate to pull-rank to put a chunin in his place. Rather, underneath the usually flippant manner, the easy-going jounin was very serious when it came to his profession. In his own strange obscure way, he cared for his students and wanted the best for them. To say that they were 'his soldiers' was his odd way of saying that they were under his charge, his responsibility, and he vowed to do all he could to protect them.

That day, Iruka had questioned his professional judgment and commitment to his students and he had responded in the only way he could.

And in the only way he _knew_, because really, he didn't know how to word it nicer.

The great Copy Ninja, Iruka was starting to realize to some amusement, didn't know how to interact with others very well beyond his usual facade of polite cheerfulness.

He should know, after all, having observed young children at play on numerous occasions. It was always the quiet ones he noticed, far too serious for their years, who always stood a bit apart from the others, distinctly uncomfortable but always looked at the other boisterous children tumbling in the dirt or chasing each other around with loneliness so clear in their solemn gaze, before turning to hide in books or other solitary activities. They would peer discreetly over the top of their books or look up from their writings sometimes, like they would like to join in the games, but just didn't know how.

Iruka chuckled quietly to himself as he poured more sake from the bottle. It was perhaps fanciful to think Kakashi had been such a child and that these traits had carried through to adulthood, but he didn't think he was too far off the mark with his assessment. Underneath all that aloof indifference to most things and people, he sensed that the jounin actually yearned for company.

They spoke of many things other than Team 7 during their dinner meetings these days. Iruka would talk about his day, the trials and tests and daily grind that were an academy teacher's life. Slouched in his seat across the table from him, Kakashi would listen thoughtfully, an elbow propped up on the table with one hand curled under his chin, the single blue eye shining contemplatively in the warm lamplight, seeming a little more alive than usual as he listened.

The jounin never talked about his own work, nothing about his assignments past or present, preferring to listen and was especially quiet if he just got back from a mission. But he smiled often, a smile that made the customary one he wore appear feigned, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying Iruka's company. Once in a while, he would even bring up some vague references of a particularly happy incident from his childhood when the academy teacher mentioned something of his own.

Sometimes, Iruka liked to think he was doing something-however small-for Kakashi, the same way the jounin cheered him up with stories about Naruto.

He liked to think these dinners brought a tentative sort of comfort to the both of them.

He liked to think they were friends.

Iruka drained the last of his sake and stood, collecting his bag and reaching for his wallet. It was getting really late and since Kakashi still had not turned up, it appeared he wasn't going to. He frowned a little at the empty seat across from him and shook his head. The food had been delicious as always but he couldn't help feel the meal was rather unsatisfactory for the lack of the usual company. But there had been a recent influx of high-level assignments so they were sending the jounin out a lot lately, on top of his duties watching over Team 7. Kakashi was probably too tired from his last mission and had forgotten entirely about their appointment.

_There's always next week._ He thought as he paid for his meal and shouted a cheery goodnight to the owner as he stepped outside.

The streets were almost deserted, the pitch black night broken only by the regularly spaced pools of yellow light from the streetlamps. People passed him by occasionally as he started down the street, huddled into the warmth of their coats as they hurried home.

The winds have picked up, eddying the dry autumn leaves around his feet and rattling the windows of the darkened shop fronts he walked pass. There was the smell of rain in the air. Iruka pulled the flaps of his flak jacket close and zipped it up to his neck with a shiver. It was going to be a cold night. He had better hurry home too. Turning down the street towards his apartment, he quickened his pace into a slow jog and thought no more of the jounin for the rest of the night.


	3. Of Missing Jounins and Stupid Traps

Hey Zafrand, yeah it's a small detail and so I was hoping that it would be overlook…er…heh heh… Ah, but looks like you've found me out! (embarrassed grin) According to the Wikipedia entry for Kakashi, his right eye colour is black and yup, in the anime it always looks black and beady to me. But Iruka's eye is black too so I thought I'll "cheat" a bit and give Kakashi a different eye colour so that it'll be easier when writing. (laugh) I know, it's a frivolous reason, and having two characters with same eye colour shouldn't be a problem for writing a story at all…but I'm a lousy storyteller like that. So yeah, sorry about that discrepancy. (deep bow of apology)

Hi ok. so. i'm. lame. Thanks for adding this to your favorites and leaving me a review. Ah reviews…stuff you'll never get enough of. (nodding sagely) I was feeling a little lost with this fic and kind of losing interest a bit but after seeing your review that you're "totally psyched about this fic", I become pretty excited about it too! So thank you so much for that. (smile)

Here comes chapter three…

**Of Missing Jounins and Stupid Traps**

Wednesday nights were 'Ramen Night', with Naruto.

Seated at the counter of Ichiraku, perched on one of the high stools with his short legs dangling a foot above the ground, the boy was steadily working his way through his third bowl with studious intensity. Iruka studied his young friend from the corner of his eye as he bent over his own dinner, eating at a much more civilized pace, and smiled.

It had been a trying day at school. Mid-week usually was, with the children seeming to have used up their weekly quota of attention; half the class was listless, the other half restless for the weekend. The excuses for late homework were also getting more and more bizarre, but no less maddening. He flicked a tongue probingly at one of his molars, suspecting he might have chipped a tooth from clenching his jaw so tightly in utter frustration for most of the day.

But as usual, Naruto's presence restored his good spirits. The kid's optimism and bubbly character was infectious, his rambling and sometimes confusing chatter never failed to coax a smile from Iruka, even if it was just as likely to produce an admonishing frown. If nothing else, the hyperactive genin reminded Iruka of what a phenomenal troublemaker he had been when he was in his class.

And Iruka firmly believed, if he had survived _Naruto_, he could survive _anything_!

"…this week is so boring!" The boy groused, punctuating his complaint with a loud slurp of soup. "We can't even take missions-not even D class ones!-because _baka_-sensei is not around and-"

"Don't call your sensei names, Naruto." Iruka corrected automatically, absently picking at the bits of minced meat floating on the surface of the broth.

But the blond boy was well into one of his usual rants and the reproach barely disturbed his pace.

"-usually late but today, _today_, he just didn't show up at all!" He went on without a pause, his voice taking on a tremor of juvenile indignation. He stabbed his chopsticks angrily at the air as he spoke as if to emphasize each point he made about his jounin instructor. "That lazy, _irresponsible_ pervert! And then Sasuke-bastard said…said…er…can't remember what he said, but I can't just let him get away with it, can I? So we fought and Sakura-chan was scolding me but we-"

Belatedly, something in that endless stream of one-sided conversation caught Iruka's attention.

"Wait, wait." He said, holding up a hand and turning to the blond boy with surprise and confusion. "Kakashi-sensei didn't meet you guys at all today?"

"Mmpft!" Naruto answered around a mouthful of noodles, nodding emphatically as he chomped furiously for a few moments before swallowing. "We waited until evening and he still didn't come. No note, no nothing!"

Iruka frowned, feeling a tiny prick of concern at the back of his mind. The jounin did not keep their appointment last night either. Had no one seen him at all after his return from the mission?

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto's voice was oddly subdued. His expression was filled with uncertainty; the faint whiskers markings on his cheeks even seemed to droop a little with apprehension. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." He replied airily. He had forgotten how the loud boy, normally oblivious to most things, could sometimes be very perceptive of the moods and emotions of others, having endured the cold gazes and unfriendly attitudes from most of the village all his life. Waving a hand at him dismissively, Iruka smiled brightly. "I was just thinking that it's a little odd, that's all."

"_Everything_ about pervert-sensei is weird." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Who knows? Maybe it's one of his games to test our willpower at waiting or something. Bet he's been hiding in a tree all day, watching and laughing at us." He grumbled crossly, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his jumpsuit in a show of disdain, but the hint of doubt didn't leave his eyes.

He paused thoughtfully for a while then continued hesitatingly. "I say, Iruka-sensei? Do you think Kakashi-sensei will show up tomorrow?"

The genin looked so serious, Iruka couldn't help but reach over with a smile and ruffled the unruly blond hair warmly, trying to be reassuring. "Ah, Kakashi-san must have been busy with some post-mission stuff. I'm sure he'll show up tomorrow. Don't worry about it."

"Hmph. And probably with some rotten excuse too." Naruto scowled, ducking his head away from the gesture, which he had declared vehemently on several occasions made him seem childish, and folded his arms across his chest. But a smile tugging at a corner of his lip betrayed his delight at the show of affection. Iruka watched the happy glow brighten and replace the uneasy expression in the bright blue eyes, until Naruto was beaming joyfully once more, attacking his ramen with renewed vigor.

Iruka smiled quietly to himself, touched. He knew he was a great influence in Naruto's life and that he was someone very dear to the boy. Yet it still amazed him every time Naruto did something to show just how deep his trust and faith in his former teacher was. A few simple words, a kind gesture, and the kid was comforted; troubles soothed and looking at him with all the gratitude and love of a devoted puppy.

It moved him to see it, was greatly humbled by it, and deeply honored to have such a special place in this special child's heart.

"Hey, Naruto." He heard himself say. "You think you're up to another bowl of ramen?"

And Naruto's loud crow of sheer happiness chased all troubling thoughts away.

* * *

It was quite late when they finally left Ichiraku. Naruto had a giant smile on his face, rubbing his full tummy with a contented air of a cat that had drunk a full vat of cream. He thanked Iruka and sprinted off towards his apartment, shouting and waving goodbye as he ran, his unruly blond hair shone gold as it caught the light from the streetlamps he passed.

Iruka shook his head fondly after the boy, starting towards his own home as the slap of sandals against the dusty street had faded into the distance. As he walked, he found his thoughts turning to the missing jounin.

For all intent and purposes, the Copy Ninja appeared to be the epitome of sloth with his languid manner and careless drawl but Iruka knew one didn't grow up to become a powerful and respected ninja by being lazy. Ninjas were essentially trained in discipline and responsibility-to Konoha, to his comrades, to people under their care. For Kakashi to abandon his students like this was highly unusual indeed.

But on the other hand, Iruka reasoned as he plodded along, the man did have a reputation for being eccentric so missing two appointments didn't necessarily mean anything out of the ordinary had happened. There was no need to be bothered by it yet, although he had to admit he felt a little anxious at these unaccounted absences.

So wrapped up in thought, he didn't realize where he was going. Before he knew it, he had taken a wrong turn at the corner, walked in a completely opposite direction to his own home, and somehow ended up on the street that led to Kakashi's apartment. He stared down the road in puzzlement, then huffed out an exasperated sigh.

Oh well, Iruka decided, since he was already here, he might as well take a look if the jounin was home, complete with the rotten excuses Naruto said he was sure to have.

The western sector was one of the oldest parts of the village. The street was bumpy from poor maintenance and dark with only a few streetlamps, flickering uncertainly by the side of the road. There were few shops here and all the buildings had a dreary, worn-down look that even the night could not hide. Iruka glanced at the windows of houses the as he passed, noting how most of them were dark as if no one was home. The street was so quiet he could hear himself breath.

It was different from the more centralized district he lived in, brightly lit and bustling with life of many families living there. But just as most Academy staff preferred living in the central district as it was near the school, many jounins favored the western sector; the seclusion meant fewer questions about their comings and goings, useful especially if the residents were always leaving for classified missions or returning from one.

Still, there was a sadness to the place. Iruka shivered and quickened his pace. The black windows yawned mournfully from the shabby buildings, wrapped up in their isolation, as if lost and forgotten by the rest of the village.

With an irate shake of his head, Iruka dispelled that silly thought. He stopped before Kakashi's apartment building and looked up, frowning a bit at the darkened window he knew belonged to the jounin's unit.

Was Kakashi not in? Or perhaps he was already asleep?

Not wanting to risk waking the jounin by knocking on his door, he considered the tree growing beside the building for a minute before climbing up lightly. The tree was old, its branches brittle and leafless. But Iruka found that if he step out carefully onto one of the higher branches, hold on to the one above him and angle his body just so, he could peer through the window to Kakashi's apartment.

Dangling precariously off the branches, he gazed intently into the room, realizing fully how suspicious such behavior must seem to an outside observer. Good thing the area seemed deserted and few residents were home, he thought.

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom of the interior, he made out the vague blocky shapes of furniture. Shelves along the far wall, a table against another, a neatly made bed-with no jounin in it. A light breeze stirred and he bounced on his toes to compensate for the swaying branch, leaning further out to get a better look.

Just then, the moon came out from behind the clouds and a pale shaft of moonlight knifed through the inky darkness of the apartment. Something glittered on the floor.

Iruka's breath caught in his throat.

Glass, broken glass lay strewn across the linoleum.

And there! On the ground, partly blocked by the bed, was a head of ashy blond hair so pale it was almost white in the moonlight.

_Heavens! That looks like…_

He barely finished the thought and his hand was flying to palm a kunai from its holster. Shrinking back against the trunk of the tree, he dropped into a defensive stance, tensed for an attack.

Something had obviously happened. To defeat Sharingan Kakashi, and in his own home no less, the enemy had to be very powerful indeed. His quick brown eyes darted to the building opposite, to the street below and then to the roof, scanning the surroundings visually for the assailants even though he could not sense any hostile presence.

When nothing presented itself, Iruka flipped open the catch of his shuriken pouch so he could access the weapons with minimal difficulty and turned to face the wall of the building once more. Taking a breath to ready himself, he leapt nimbly across the distance, landing on his toes on the narrow ledge just below Kakashi's apartment window. Fully aware the moonlight spotlighting him from above placed him at a clear disadvantage, he worked as fast as he could to gain entry into the apartment.

The standard traps that most Konoha shinobi used to ward their homes were easily found and quickly disabled. He took more time over the personalized ones Kakashi had rigged. At any other time, he would have been impressed with the skill and creativity that went into these traps, would have been delighted at the chance to figure out these intricate puzzles. But now, the cleverly concealed and frustratingly difficult snares were taking precious minutes to dismantle. Awkwardly braced against the wall, he agonized for a moment over a trap hidden directly above the window before he was rewarded by a faint click of the explosive mechanism inside inactivated.

He smiled, reaching for the windowpane at last; only to recoil sharply as a wire snapped out with vicious force from a secret hollow in the sill. But he was a second too slow, the end of the wire caught him in the cheek, scoring a long angry furrow along the brown skin. Biting back a pained hiss, he clenched his teeth against the burn and checked out the damage using the reflection in the glass window, cursing as he saw blood well up along the cut and trickle down his cheek.

He glared balefully at the wire before studying the window once more. He frowned, suddenly noticing something. The window was locked down from the inside and will swing outwards. Even if one knew how to pass a hand through glass and undo the lock somehow, the narrow ledge restricted movement such that it was impossible to open it from the outside without toppling off the building!

_The bastard!_ Iruka almost screamed in anger, most uncharitable thoughts about the jounin running through his mind. This was exactly the sort of thing he would do; setting up elaborate traps, making an intruder think he might have a chance at breaking in, only to totally crush him with the realization that it was an impossible task from the start after he was properly tired, injured and riled up getting through all the traps. He could just imagine Kakashi's beaming smile, exposed eye squeezed into a happy arc of perverse delight, as he planned out the defence for his home.

He took a breath and calmed himself, adjusting his grip on his kunai. There was only one thing left to do.

It went against everything he had learnt about being a ninja, all those lessons of stealth and deception being a shinobi's lifeblood instead of direct confrontation drilled into every ninja since childhood. But, he thought as he brought the hilt of the kunai up and smashed it into the pane with all his might, it's rather satisfying all the same.

The window erupted into a shower of shards with a bright sounding chime that resonating in the empty streets below. He winced inwardly but wasted no time in hauling himself through the huge jagged hole, leaping over the bed and rolling into a protective crouch beside the motionless jounin.

Kakashi had not even stirred at the noise he made fiddling with the traps nor at the crash that broke the window. He lay face down, so perfectly still that Iruka suddenly felt his heart go cold with fear. With one hand still holding the kunai in a death grip, he scanned the gloomy interior of the apartment for danger as he fumbled clumsily for his companion's wrist with the other.

His fingers found a pulse, weak and sluggish but present nonetheless and Iruka let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Kakashi-sensei." He shook the jounin in an attempt to rouse him, eyes still scanning the darkness for possible enemies.

After several minutes, there was a soft moan and the shoulder under his hand twitched. Iruka dared to take his eyes off surveillance for a second to look down at the jounin. "Kakashi-sensei, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"-ruka?" The jounin turned his head to the side and blinked confusedly at him for a moment, then the unfocused eye shifted to check why there was an odd breeze blowing into his room. "You owe me a window." He informed Iruka matter-of-factly.

Iruka would have laughed at the characteristically ludicrous answer from the Copy Ninja if not for how weak Kakashi's voice was and how disoriented he sounded. He could see that his face was terribly pale under the mask even in the dimness of the apartment.

"What happened?"

"…Mission…Tired…could'n get up…"

There was no urgency in his voice and Iruka could perceive no danger, so he finally relaxed his guard. "Okay, look. We have to get you to the hospital, alright?" He kept his kunai and turned his full attention to his companion. "Do you think you can stand if I help you?"

There was a moment pause as he felt Kakashi mustering the last of his reserves. "I'll try." He said softly.

Iruka nodded, grasping a hand and pulling him up as he stood. Kakashi swayed unsteadily on his feet, trying to remain upright only to fail and fall heavily against the schoolteacher's side but when Iruka tried to put an arm around his waist to support him, he cried out, shrinking away.

"Sorry." Iruka muttered, belatedly realizing he had a wound on his side and choosing instead to grab hold of his arm to steady him.

Kakashi drooped against him, his head fell against his shoulder. "S'okay."

He let him lean against him for a moment as he freed his hands to form the required jutsu. "Just hang on for a second, huh? We'll be there soon." Iruka said with false confidence, trying to be encouraging as he started to form seals for a teleportation jutsu. It was an advanced jutsu and while he could perform it, he had only required and attempted relatively short distance jumps before this.

To travel halfway across the whole village to the hospital, and take another person with him…the thought was daunting.

As he feared, the glow around them spluttered and died. Iruka gritted his teeth and started over again, moving his fingers through the sequence more rapidly, pushing more chakra into the jutsu.

It must work, there was no choice. He couldn't possibly drag the Copy Ninja through the dark, cold streets all the way to the hospital and he really didn't like the idea of leaving him alone while he went for help.

Iruka frowned tightly as the jutsu fizzled out a second time, risking a glance at the man slumped against him. He did not like the way Kakashi was slurring when he spoke, nor how cold his hand was. Kakashi was breathing raggedly and trembling badly; his visible eye was half-lidded, as if it took all his strength to cling onto consciousness and remain standing. Iruka chewed on his bottom lip worriedly. The jounin needed medical attention immediately.

On the third try, the wind picked up around their feet and swirled half-heartedly around them for a while, then dispersed.

"Come on! Why won't you work, damnit!" Iruka growled desperately, raising his hands to try yet again.

A half-gloved hand rose shakily and closed around his hands firmly, stilling the frantic movements.

"Iruka, calm down." Kakashi ordered quietly, in what the chunin had come to recognize as his 'serious' voice. His voice was barely a whisper and it was obvious that it took a lot of effort for him to speak but he struggled on. "You 'ave good basics…but this…this is difficult-" He broke off, coughing painfully for a moment then swallowed hard and managed a wan smile. "You can do this. Don' rush, 'kay?"

"Okay." Iruka smiled, giving the icy hand a quick squeeze of gratitude. Gentle rebuke, indirect compliment and quiet encouragement all rolled into a few simple words; small wonder this ninja was an effective field commander and a good teacher.

The words calmed him down considerably and he started another attempt at the jutsu with greater composure.

"...right, that's it." Kakashi murmured supportively at his side, reaching up once in a while to pull a finger straight or adjust the angle his wrist properly, making subtle corrections to the hand positions of the jutsu that were needed to compensate for the longer distance and the extra load as Iruka went through them. "Okay, faster 'ere…but slow after. Relax, l-let chakra flow…d-don't push…let the jutsu take what it needs..."

"Okay, I think I've got it now." The academy teacher frowned in concentration. Taking a deep breath, he started on the teleportation jutsu anew, careful to do exactly as Kakashi instructed. Abruptly, chakra coursed through him like a live thing, leaving his ears ringing as it rushed to fuel the jutsu. The winds spun high and fast around them.

"Y're quick." came Kakashi's approving voice, sounding beyond exhausted. "-and hey…'bout Tues'ay night…sorry I-"

And Iruka thought it was the weirdest thing anyone could worry about in a situation like this before the seals were complete and they were whisked away into nothingness.


	4. In Case of Emergency

Has it been a month already since I last updated? (gasp) I'm so sorry! I suppose this is a good time as any to say that I am a very unproductive writer…er…but I guess you all can probably tell by now. (remorseful smile) But thank you so much for the reviews and bearing with me anyway, everyone!

To See Saw: Hi! Interesting to see a familiar name from the OP fandom here, thanks for taking the trouble to review my stories from both the fandoms. Yeah, good ole h/c. (grin) If you sound evil for liking it, then I'm evil-er for writing it…hee… Seems like I can't stop writing this sort of fic…(sigh)

To Sai Ya Xiao Jie: I'm okay with KakaIru romance but the idea of friendship moves me in a different and no less meaningful way, hence this fic. Glad you've enjoyed it. Erm…sorry, but Kakashi isn't poisoned. (I agree that that'll be more exciting, won't it?(smile)) He's just seriously worn out, as usual.

Okay, enough delay, on with the story…

**In Case of Emergency**

They re-materialized in the hospital reception area and Kakashi went limp completely, finally losing his tenuous hold on consciousness as the last of his strength gave out. Iruka stumbled a bit from landing on solid ground again but caught the jounin as he collapsed, lowering him carefully to the ground.

"Kakashi-san!" The pretty red-haired nurse manning the reception desk took one look at them and gasped, her bright brown eyes round with shock.

Kakashi must be admitted quite regularly for the staff here to identify him by name on sight, Iruka thought absently as he watched her swing open the small partition to get out from behind the counter and come hurrying towards them.

She knelt down beside the unconscious jounin, hands hovering over his still form, fingers dancing deftly as she ran through a series of quick diagnostic jutsus.

"What happened?" she asked distractedly, checking his pulse and peeling back the uncovered eyelid to shine a penlight to gauge pupil response with practiced efficiency. The Sharingan gleamed blood-red for a second as she inspected it next.

Iruka took an awkward shuffling step to the side, trying to give her space to work. The serious tone in her voice worried him. The deep frown that crossed her face as she pushed aside the standard-issue vest and peeled back the black shirt underneath to study the wound on Kakashi's side was even more unsettling.

"I found him like this, unconscious, in his apartment." He cleared his throat anxiously, adjusting his hitai-ate in a gesture of nervousness. "Not sure…but he said something about being tired, couldn't get up…and a mission I think. He blacked out just when we got here."

Acknowledging his words with a nod, she stood up, walking over to the phone on the counter briskly. "Doctor Haruki? We've got an emergency case at the front desk. Could you please come over right now?"

She paused for a moment, listening intently then replied. "Severe exhaustion, beginnings of a bad infection, dangerous chakra depletion…I'm not sure, but I think he's going into shock."

Iruka swallowed past the worry that choked his throat at the nurse's words and glanced down at his companion. In the harsh bright lights of the hospital lobby, the Copy Ninja's face was ashen, almost as white as the floor he was lying on.

Crumpled in a graceless heap on the ground, limp and lifeless like a rag-doll, he looked as thin and haggard as his namesake. Iruka found he could not tear his gaze away from the jounin's pale visage, suddenly fixated with watching the jerky rise and fall of each shallow, painfully laboured breath…

He must have spaced out because the next thing he knew, the area was humming with activity. Medical personnel bustled about, looking like a bunch of swarming termites in their white uniforms. A man with thick, black-rimmed glasses and graying brown hair was crouching beside the unconscious jounin, taking his pulse with a grim expression on his face, barking out orders in a deep authoritative voice. And before Iruka knew it, they had whisked Kakashi onto a gurney and were taking him away.

He gazed fretfully after the group as they moved down the corridor until the red-haired nurse spoke up beside him, startling him. "Er…shinobi-san?"

"Please, it's Iruka." He turned and smiled at her. "Umino Iruka."

"Iruka-san." She nodded, returning his smile. "Kakashi-san will be fine. We'll take it from here." She gave him a slight bow. "Thank you for bringing him."

Iruka blinked at the clear note of dismissal in her voice, puzzled. "Ummm…well, if it's alright," He looked at her uncertainly. "I'll like to wait around…you know, to see what the doctor says."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh, please don't worry. Collapse from chakra depletion can be rather dramatic, and sometimes even quite alarming, but surely you know people rarely die from it."

"Besides, Kakashi-san gets brought in with that a lot, even more than other ninja because of the unique condition of his Sharingan transplant." She shook her head with a sad sort of laugh. "We used to get him here every other month when he was doing missions full time. So this is nothing, really. There's no need for you to stay."

Iruka stared at her, shocked at her words and the offhanded way she had spoken them. If she wasn't looking so earnestly at him, urging him to go home, he would think her heartless. As it was, he didn't blame her and knew she was only trying to be reassuring.

But he was still appalled that the hospital staff was so used to random people dropping an unconscious Kakashi on them, that they no longer thought it to be anything important or extraordinary. Like it was a common occurrence that everyone was so accustomed to, no one found the need to stick around to see if the jounin was really alright anymore, or cared enough to be there when he wakes.

"I'll wait." He repeated, a bit more certain this time.

Her expression softened. "I see. That's okay too." A smile spread across her face and she suddenly seemed glad. "In fact, that will be nice."

An hour later, the chunin wasn't sure it was so nice after all. The hospital lobby was quiet, the silence barely disturbed by the faint scratching of pen against paper as the nurse went about her duties at the counter. Perched uncomfortably on one of those plastic chairs in the waiting area of the entrance hall, Iruka tried to calm his sense of unease. He never liked the hospital, too many bad memories of that fateful night his parents earned their place on the Hero's Stone, and his own stays in the past when a mission went wrong.

Sure, they tried to liven the place up a bit, with potted plants in the corners and the leisure magazines featuring innocuous activities like gardening and fishing on the low table. But the sterile white walls always seemed too bleak, the pervasive hush of the place oppressive. The clean, faintly antiseptic smell in the air couldn't never quite mask the stench of blood and death to him.

He sighed, suppressing an urge to fidget in his seat and swing his legs back and forth. It was an old habit he had as a child whenever he was anxious or bored, and right now he was more than a little of both.

It's almost midnight, he thought, glancing at the clock and couldn't quite stop a worried frown from crossing his face.

"Iruka-san?"

He looked up to see the nurse beckoning to him. Relieved for the distraction to the seemingly endless wait, he approached the counter.

"Would you like to fill in Kakashi-san's admission form for me while you wait, Iruka-san?" She pushed a page towards him and waved a hand at the pile of documents on the desk. "I'm swamped with work here so it'll be a great help. Besides," Her brown eyes twinkled kindly as she gave him an understanding smile. "sometimes when the wait gets really dull, I find it helps to have something to do to occupy ourselves, take our minds off things for a bit."

Flipping through a thick patient's folder on the table, she selected another similar form and offered it to him as well. "You can copy most of the information off this old one that's already been filled if you like."

He nodded, accepting both sheets of paper gratefully. Picking up a pen on the counter and he started to write. Kakashi's name, address, occupation, rank and registration number were entered easily. He hesitated briefly over the 'Signs and Symptoms' part but realized with a wry sort of amusement the Copy Ninja had been admitted for a similar ailment of over-exhaustion and chakra depletion when the old form was filled too, so he noted the short paragraph in the fresh document with little difficulty.

The 'In Case of Emergency' portion, however, completely stumped him.

Looking to the old form for guidance was useless because the corresponding space was left blank.

"Excuse me, Miss." He angled the paper towards her so that she could see, pointing at the section with the tip of his pen. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to enter here."

She clipped a sheaf of papers together from the pile she was sorting and glanced at his half-filled form. "Oh, it's alright, we usually leave that blank. Sometimes, we put down the teammate who brings him in. But jounin are often away with missions so it's pretty pointless when they can't be contacted half the time."

She shrugged and added. "Don't worry, if something really bad happens, the Hokage will be informed."

_If he dies, we'll report it to the Hokage._ Iruka couldn't help translating inwardly.

He frowned tightly and pressed his lips into a grim line, suddenly speechless from a swell of indignance that gripped him.

The image of Kakashi when he had found him earlier rose abruptly in his mind.

Weak and injured, lying so still on the cold floor of his small apartment…

As the jounin had missed their Tuesday dinner meeting, Iruka was quite sure he had lain there all through last night and the whole of today as well. Last night had been cold with the autumn wind howling for most part of the night. He remembered being annoyed at the rattling windows waking him up and had burrowed deeper into his blankets with a shiver. He could only imagine how bad it must have been for Kakashi in his weakened state, collapsed on the chilly ground.

If Iruka did not think to check on him tonight, he would still be there now. All alone in his room until he recovered enough strength to take himself to the hospital or call out for help.

And if he could not? Would he lie there, unnoticed until he was needed for the next mission? Would they realize too late, only arriving to find the body when he had died of hypothermia and his injuries? Did no one care at all?

He felt vaguely ill, and suddenly very angry. A quiet simmering rage filled him as he glared at the empty entry on the admission form, as if trying to burn the desolating blankness out of it with his gaze.

Kakashi was a competent shinobi, his abilities legendary, and more than capable of taking care of himself. But no matter how skilled he was, how valuable he was as a ninja to Konoha, he was not a tool to be called on when needed, forgotten when not, patched up and made ready to be used again whenever he was incapacitated.

Having taught it so often to his classes, he knew very well it was the way of a hidden village; that shinobi were above all else, code-bound to serve. But honor and duty can only keep a person going for so long. Even genius ninja need someone who cares, a friend to be there for him when he couldn't cope with the burdens of life himself.

On impulse, Iruka gripped the pen tight and wrote his name and contact number in the space with large firm strokes.

He looked up to see the nurse watching him curiously.

"Oh!" He blushed, anger draining out of him in an instant when the thought occurred to him he was being presumptuous and rude, putting his details down like that, as if he was trying to prove the nurse wrong or something equally insulting.

Scratching embarrassedly at the back of his head with one hand and gesticulating anxiously with the other, he stuttered as he tried to explain. "I'm sorry! I don't mean anything…but I teach at the Academy you see…so I'm always around in the village…I mean, you can always find me if necessary…and…and-" He took a breath to cut off his mindless rambling and offered the nurse a sheepish grin. "I guess I'm trying to say that Kakashi-sensei is a good friend of mine. I would want to know and be here if something happened to him."

The nurse smiled, amused at his flustered outburst but seemed touched by his little speech. "Of course." She nodded, taking the forms from him and filing them away. "Kakashi-san is very fortunate to have such a staunch friend in you.

The phone jangled at that moment and she answered it. Putting the receiver down after a brief exchange with the caller, she beamed at him. "Okay, they're done with him and have put him in recovery, room 57. He's probably asleep and won't wake until morning, but you can go see him if you want."

Iruka nodded his thanks and started walking down corridor, following the signs posted on the walls towards the wards.


	5. Nighttime Vigil

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. I thought I would send replies to reviews from now on…yeah, I know this function has been available for some time already, but I'm just slow to catch on this way (grin). So if you leave a signed review, I'll try my best to send a reply. If not, for unsigned reviews, I'll just leave a note in the next chapter, like this:

To Polaris: Thanks for reading and making an effort to leave me a review for all four chapters. Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story as well. (smile)

Now, let's find out what happens next…

**Night-time Vigil**

Room 57 came into view as Iruka rounded yet another corner and he quickened his pace towards it. Putting his hand against the door, he was about to push it open when it was swung inwards all of a sudden.

"Oh!" Iruka caught himself before he could bump into the tall, irate looking man standing in the doorway, clearly about to leave the room.

"Yes? What do you want?" The man demanded brusquely, barrowing his way forward with his superior height and girth so that they were both standing in the corridor. The door clicked shut behind him.

"Uh-" Iruka stammered, still taken aback by the sudden appearance of this imposing person. It was the doctor from before, he realized as he recognized the thinning brown hair and the almost regal bearing in the stern face. "I'm here to see Kakashi-san." He managed.

"And you are?" The deep-set grey eyes regarded him appraisingly over the top of black-rimmed glasses.

"Iruka. Umino Iruka." He had to fight the urge to supply his rank, registration number and his mother's maiden name too in face of this almost-interrogation. "Ummm…I'm a friend of Kakashi-san."

Dr. Haruki huffed out a short sigh and nodded grudgingly. "Yeah, Nurse Yukio called from reception and told me."

"So, is Kakashi-san alright now? Can I see him?"

"That _Kakashi!_" Iruka flinched at the venom in the doctor's voice, taking an involuntary step back. He watched in mute horror as the older man seemed to swell up in fury, his face turning red with anger-

-getting ready to launch into a long, loud and _livid_ tirade.

"Do you know I've been seeing him for this sort of thing when he was only_ this_ tall?" The doctor snapped a hand out, palm down, a little above his knee. "I keep telling him he has to know his limits, don't push himself so hard and to come here _immediately_ when he feels he might need medical help."

"But do you know what?" He spat out acidly and Iruka shook his head dutifully, making small conciliatory gestures with his hands that were completely futile at placating the doctor. "For the genius that he is supposed to be, the brat _never_ learns!"

Abruptly, the doctor spun around on his heel and started pacing about, growling low in his throat like a caged lion that had enough of some naughty kid poking a stick through the bars at his side all day. "He seemed to know better these last few years, and there I was thinking he was _finally_ getting the idea and then _poof!_ He went and did it again!" He shook a fist at the closed door, his grey eyes flashing angrily.

Iruka grimaced. The older man was so worked up, he couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only wait for the rant to die down by itself. In truth, he agreed with the doctor and was rather annoyed with Kakashi for neglecting himself so.

Exhaustion and chakra depletion do not just creep up on you and jump a sneak attack. They make themselves known in hundreds of ways, leading up to an actual collapse only if ignored. Kakashi must have known his own condition and Iruka was exasperated that the jounin had no sense to come to the hospital the moment he got back to the village.

But, the young teacher thought with a frown, that was certainly not the issue at the moment.

Thus, the second the doctor paused to catch his breath, Iruka interjected quickly. "But is he_ alright_?" He almost shouted, half-afraid the doctor's agitation was an attempt at hiding anxiety about bad news.

The doctor blinked at him as if at last fully noticing his presence. He sighed, seeming to deflate a little. His shoulders drooped as anger left him and suddenly he appeared to be nothing more than the genteel gentleman that he was.

"Yes." He offered a smile at last. "Yes, he's fine."

Dr. Haruki pulled his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly, his smile turning apologetic. "I'm sorry, it's been a long day and we're seriously understaffed tonight, so I'm a little irritable."

He replaced his glasses and looked at Iruka, his face growing stern once more. "Exhaustion and chakra depletion are pretty straightforward to deal with, but the infection and his cold really complicates things. If he had just come straight away to the hospital after his mission he wouldn't be in such a bad state." He groused but shook his head resignedly, lips quirking in wry amusement. "Kakashi-kun's a good kid, but I just wish he'll take better care of himself."

He must have caught Iruka's worried expression because he patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we've pumped him so full of antibiotics the infection is as good as gone tomorrow. After that, it'll be nothing that rest can't cure."

"Glad to hear that." Iruka smiled with genuine relief.

"Hmmm…but he's got a pretty high fever now, so it's best if someone can watch over him, make sure it doesn't get worse." The doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then cleared his throat in an almost embarrassed manner as he looked at him. "But we're seriously understaffed tonight, I really can't spare one of my nurses so if you don't mind…" He trailed off hopefully.

"No, I don't mind." Iruka answered without hesitation. "I'll stay with him."

"Good man." Dr. Haruki beamed, clapping him heartily on the shoulder. He looked as though he would like to stay and chat some more when his watch beeped.

"Damn! I'm needed for the ward rounds." He scowled, all harried and irascible once more. "Nice meeting you, Umino-san." And without waiting for an answer, he turned and sped down the corridor, muttering curses under his breath as he went.

Iruka smiled, shaking his head at the sight. He turned and finally pushed open the door, stepping inside quietly.

The room was dark, lit only by the soft glow of a nightlight in a far corner. A nurse stood by the bed, busy adjusting the flow of a drip hanging on a stand nearby. She glanced up, squinting at the sudden light pouring in from the well-lit corridor but she smiled when she saw Iruka. Inclining her head slightly to her sleeping patient, she held a finger up to her lips to signal for silence.

Kakashi lay on the stark, white hospital bed. They had removed his hitai-ate and changed him out of his jounin uniform into the more comfortable hospital pajamas, but left his mask untouched. His eyes were closed, and the narrow ridge of scar tissue that cut across his left eye all the way to beneath his mask was dark against the terrible pallor of his face. An IV line ran from the drip into one of his arms.

But he seems to be resting peacefully enough, Iruka thought, pleased that while the jounin's breathing was still shallow, it was steady and stronger than before.

The nurse echoed his thoughts. "He's going to be fine, just still a bit weak." She whispered as she passed him on her way to the door. "Keep him warm and quiet so that he can rest."

Iruka nodded and smiled his thanks. Pulling up a chair, he sat down by the bed, trying to make himself comfortable as he prepared to stay for the remainder of the night.

The hours passed slowly. The room was silent save for the gentle distant hum of the ventilation shaft in a corner of the ceiling and the quiet unobtrusive ticking of the clock on the wall. It was too dim to read, not that he brought a book to read or papers to grade, and the only window in the room looked out over the courtyard which was uninterestingly deserted at this late hour. Iruka whiled the time away by watching Kakashi sleep, taking his temperature every hour or so and generally staving off the urge of fall asleep himself.

He was drowsing lightly in his chair when he heard a small noise.

Kakashi was shifting restlessly under the blankets, his head tossing this way and that. His brows were drawn tight together as if in pain. Training in stealth ingrained into all good shinobi kept him quiet despite his comatose state but even it could not stop the small anguished noise that escaped him.

"No…no, don't…"

Iruka was swiftly by his side.

"Kakashi-sensei?" He called, gripping the jounin's arm to restrain the trashing limb before the flailing could rip the IV line out. The muscles were corded and tensed under his hand, taunt with tension as if he was facing a fight or suffering great emotional distress.

"Kakashi-sensei!" He called again, anxious that the jounin wouldn't respond. His forehead was hot and feverish when he placed a hand upon it, but no more so than before. The fever had not worsened.

A nightmare then.

But the jounin would not wake. His breath was starting to come in quick nervous gasps as his eyes twitched erratically under the closed lids. His hands fisted around the sheets as he struggled against whatever horrific images his mind showed him.

Iruka bit his lip, looking down at the jounin worriedly. The exhausted man needed rest but this troubled sleep was likely to do him more harm than good. He brushed the strands of sweat-soaked silver hair back absently, trying to sooth him as he debated if he should call for the doctor.

Kakashi leaned into the touch, as if instinctively craving for the comfort only human contact can bring, as if it were a beacon that kept him grounded as he fought himself in a nightmarish world. With a shuddering breath, he quiet down, slowly relaxing back into bed with a soft sigh.

The ghost of a smile flitted briefly over his face, obvious even under the mask.

"Father…" He murmured, his voice young and sad and filled with such longing, it went straight to the chunin's heart.

Iruka froze. His hand stilled, resting against the silver hair.

In that very moment, he felt a deep kinship with the Copy Ninja, the desperate yearning in the jounin's voice connecting with the ache deep inside him that still lingered after all these years.

He had heard nothing of Kakashi's mother but rumors of the famous White Fang, Konoha's pride at one time and Konoha's shame at another, reached even a child's ears in those days. Bits of gossip about the disgrace, terrible tales about the bloody end he dealt himself and hushed whispers about the child he had left behind.

His own parents had not chosen to go to their deaths, yet he could not help but feel abandoned in those earliest years following the loss, when the grief was keenest and loneliness could cut as well as any blade. He could hardly imagine how Kakashi must have felt, knowing his father had made a conscious choice to abandon him and life.

But, Iruka thought absently, the pain of losing one's parents was pretty much universal.

Suddenly, it was _that_ night again.

The dark night skies blazed unnaturally bright, a false dawn lit up by the miles of burning village and the fearsome chakra of the demon fox. All around him, people were screaming, crying, dying. His mom had told him to go with the chunin taking the children and women into the hills for safety but he broke away from the group, spurred by a dreadful certainty that something was terribly wrong. He pushed through the crowd, trying to get to their first line of defense, knowing his parents were there and desperate to find them. There was a great blinding flash, and then nothing but the soft pattering of rain on the blood-soaked ground.

A deep silence settled over the village, pregnant with the knowledge that victory was theirs, but somehow tasted too much like defeat…

Iruka closed his eyes and sank weakly into his chair, his throat unbearably tight. The images and the sounds crashing down on him were overwhelming, sweeping him along in their merciless intensity. The dull ache in his chest flared into a stab of pain, clear and sharp as if it all happened yesterday.

Suddenly, he found himself missing Sandaime badly, longing for the kind old man who had stepped in to pick up the pieces, helping him and Konoha back on their feet when Iruka had thought both tasks impossible.

But Sandaime was dead.

And all that was left was them, the lost children borne of those harsh realities and to be shadowed forever by those tragedies.

His hand closed about Kakashi's as he took a calming breath, swallowing hard as he regained his composure.

And like children they shall huddle together, gain comfort and strength from each other as they struggle on with the burdens of their past.

Kakashi dreamt no more that night.

And Iruka sat long into the night, staring into the darkness, the ghosts of his memories a little more bearable for the pale, slender hand grasped tightly in his own.


	6. Morning and Unexpected Visitors

This chapter has been harder to write for some reason…but your reviews have kept me going. (smile) Thanks so much everyone!

To nannon: It's cool that you find this story cool. (grin) Thanks for your review!

And now…

**Morning and Unexpected Visitors**

It was surprisingly bright when Iruka opened his eyes. He sat up groggily, scratching absently at the base of his ponytail and blinked in confusion at the cheery morning sunshine filtering through the partly drawn curtains.

The last time he looked, the sky outside was still dark, with only the faintest blush of rose in the eastern sky. Why did it look like it's past mid-morning now…?

Iruka leapt to his feet, eyes widening in realization, as he turned quickly towards the bed.

Although Kakashi's temperature had begun to dip in the early hours of dawn, he still felt a little guilty about falling asleep when he was supposed to be watching over the jounin. But the man was still sound asleep, breathing easily with no sign of distress in what could be seen of his masked face. His forehead was quite cool when Iruka touched the back of his hand lightly against it to check.

Kakashi twitched slightly in protest at the touch but did not wake, snuggling into the blankets instead with a soft sigh, the movement causing his disheveled ash-blond hair to flop haphazardly over his face. Fighting back a chuckle at the almost comical sight, Iruka smiled, his heart light with relief. The jounin still needed a lot of rest to recover fully but his condition was less worrying with the fever gone.

Stretching to ease the aches in his back from sleeping in the chair, Iruka strolled over to the window and looked out. In the morning light, the courtyard below seemed bright and full of life, bustling with a steady stream of hospital staff, patients and visitors. The young teacher smiled to himself. Even the memories that had plagued him the night before seemed distant in the light of the new day.

He had no classes on Thursday mornings this term. That left him time to grab a quick shower and perhaps even a short nap before he had to be at the Academy. He was about to leave for home when the sound of someone running down the corridor, shouting at the top of his lungs for his companions to hurry up, reached him.

Iruka closed his eyes and pressed two fingers to his temple, a vein on the side of his forehead already starting to throb. If the familiar chakra of the approaching person did not clue him in, the exuberant voice combined with the wild slapping of sandals against the floor as he thundered through corridor left very little doubt.

With a long suffering sigh, the academy teacher went and stood beside the door, resigned. Years of practice had allowed him to perfect the move. With effortless grace and impeccable timing, he stretched out his hand and snagged the back of the collar of the orange jumpsuit as the blond hyperactive ball of energy burst into the room.

"Wha-!" Naruto squirmed, kicking and biting like a little hellcat. He twisted out of his grip, landed on the ground, immediately skittering into a low crouch with his back against the wall, teeth bared and a kunai already in his hand. Iruka felt a small swell of pride as he noted the perfect defensive position the genin had adopted. It seemed as though every time he saw Naruto, the kid had grown a little more.

Still, he fixed the blond with a stern glare. "Naruto!" He scolded, trying to convey his disapproval despite having to keep his voice down. "You shouldn't be making so much noise in the hospital."

The boy relaxed his guard as he recognized him and stowed his weapon away. "Iruka-sensei!" He launched himself at the chunin, burying his face in his favourite sensei's abdomen as he hugged him tightly with a puzzling desperation, seeking comfort in the way Iruka knew children tended to do when distressed.

"Steady now, Naruto." Iruka staggered back a step from the force of the hug, looking down at the blond in surprise and concern. "Hey, are you alright? What's the matter?"

He never got his answer because the door crashed open in the next moment to admit a fuming, red-faced Sakura.

"You idiot!" She shrieked as she shook her fist threateningly at Naruto. Her pink hair, freshly cropped from the recent chunin examinations, was in disarray, testament of her wild run down the corridor after her teammate.

"Don't you know this is a hospital? You have to be quiet or you'll disturb the patients! And oh-" She paused, regaining the temperament of a sweet-mannered young girl with unnerving swiftness when she noticed her former academy teacher. "Hello, Iruka-sensei."

"Uh, hello, Saku-"

"I just wanted to get here quickly." Naruto interrupted, pulling away to fold his arms across his chest with a righteous pout.

"That doesn't mean you can shout and dash through the hospital like that!" The girl cuffed him on the head with her fist, her green eyes flashing and her voice rising again.

"It's all that Sasuke's fault!"

"How dare you blame Sasuke-kun!"

"But he's walking so slowly!"

"Not everyone is noisy and annoying like you!"

"Naruto, Sakura…come on now, you guys…" Iruka hovered between the two squabbling kids, flapping his hands frantically as he tried to calm them down, gesturing meaningfully towards the sleeping jounin on the bed. "…listen to me, you two are too loud…" He could barely hear himself with the heated quarrel going on.

The vein on his forehead was throbbing in earnest now.

Finally, he lost his temper. "_Quiet!_ Or you'll wake Kakashi-sensei!" He roared.

They fell silent at once, both heads whipping around as one towards the bed, suddenly remembering their purpose there.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto tiptoed to the bedside, setting a hand cautiously down on the edge of the mattress as if afraid he'll disturb the jounin. Iruka rolled his eyes at the exaggerated measures the boy made to be silent when he had been so noisy before but he frowned at the look on the young genin's face.

The child seemed unnaturally solemn as he leaned over to study the motionless figure on the bed, eyes wide and concerned. His throat was working with the great distress Iruka had sensed in him earlier as he gingerly tucked a loose corner of the blanket more securely around his unconscious teacher.

Sakura rounded the bed to stand on the other side, clutching the stalk of the daffodil she had brought tightly in both her hands. "He looks really tired." She said softly, her voice strained with worry.

_The children are upset…_ Iruka realized with a sigh.

But he had to admit the Kakashi didn't look well. Although his colour had improved a little from last night, he was still much too pale. There were deep shadows under his eyes, so dark they looked like bruises. His silver hair was feathery against his masked cheek, making him seem young and strangely vulnerable.

Clad only in the loose cotton hospital pajamas, without the concealing bulk of the jounin uniform to hide his thin frame, he looked terribly frail. One hand rested lifelessly by his side while the other lay folded across his stomach, the plastic medical ID bracelet hung limply off his bony wrist. Pale blue veins and faded scars ran like an intricate network across the almost translucent skin of the back of his hands.

Delicate, fragile-

Human.

It was hard to reconcile the legendary invincible Sharingan Kakashi, a man impossible to kill if some of the rumors were to be believed, with this obviously mortal man that lay on the bed. Iruka bit his lip, pity and respect for the jounin filled his heart.

It must be hard to be assigned missions that no one else dared take-yet be expected to complete them because you're _the_ Sharingan Kakashi-when in fact, you're just as human as everyone else.

The mood in the room was getting uncomfortably somber with the two genin staring in silence at their sensei with those sad, anxious eyes. So Iruka smiled and tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Of course Kakashi-sensei looks tired." He reassured brightly, ruffling Naruto's bright hair comfortingly. "He's needed for a lot of missions lately, so you guys better behave and not give your sensei too much trouble." Shaking a finger in mock sternness, he admonished jokingly and was rewarded by a small burst of girlish giggles from Sakura. "But it's alright, don't be too worried. The doctor only said his chakra is badly depleted because he must have used the Sharingan too much and-"

"Oh, I know! I know!" Naruto raised his hand, hopping up and down in excitement, his worries forgotten. "It's just like that time in Wave Country, isn't it Sakura-chan?" The boy grinned at his teammate, amused by the memory. "We were walking along and then, _wham!_ Kakashi-sensei just fell flat on his face! It was so funny!" He slapped his hand against his knee and broke out into loud hysterical laughter.

Iruka frowned at the chuckling Naruto. He had strong feelings about the injudicious use of chakra, especially if it was serious enough to result in a collapse. What kind of example was Kakashi setting for his students? The schoolteacher fumed darkly.

When the jounin wakes, he and the man were going to have _words_.

But for the moment, he saw an excellent chance to educate the children on this matter. "It's not funny, Naruto." Setting a firm hand down on the blond head to still the laughing child, he slipped into his lecturing mode with ease. "Chakra depletion is _not_ something to joke about."

When the blond boy nodded, looking suitably chastised, he turned his gaze to include the other two members of Team 7, making sure they were listening as well. "A good ninja must always be aware of his or her limits and know how far these limits can be pushed. It's useless to defeat the enemy only to die from over-exertion yourself, isn't it?"

"A person who does not monitor chakra usage responsibly is a danger to himself and his teammates."

He intended to dive into a more detailed discourse on the subject but Naruto's eyes were already glazing over, clearly bored and no longer paying attention. Sakura was more tactful.

"Umm, Iruka-sensei?" She interrupted, quickly changing the topic. "You must be tired too. The nurses said you've been here all night." At his nod, she smiled. "Let me get you a cup of coffee."

"And breakfast!" Naruto added enthusiastically, starting for the door. "The cafeteria here has good ramen-not as good as Ichiraku of course!-but it's not bad."

"Naruto, I don't think ramen for breakfast is-" But the boy was already gone.

Sakura grimaced, her fist clenched at the racket Naruto was making as he dashed down the corridor. "I'd better go make sure he stays out of trouble."

It was only when the noise faded into the distance and peaceful silence fell over the room once again that Iruka finally turned to the lone figure standing in the far corner.

"You can come over if you like." He called out with an encouraging smile. "Chakra depletion is not contagious, you know."

Sasuke glared at him, black eyes unreadable under the shock of midnight hair. He had trailed in quietly after his teammates' loud entrance and had stood slouching against the wall near the door this whole time, hands folded across his chest, resolutely avoiding looking at him or at Kakashi.

Indecision flickered briefly across the boy's face for a second, then he strolled over, appearing for all the world detached and unconcerned. But the tension in his frame gave him away when he stood stiffly by Iruka's side, as they both looked down at the sleeping jounin.

"Is he really going to be okay?" His voice was oddly hushed, quiet with badly hidden concern.

Iruka blinked, surprised that even the normally apathetic boy was so worried. "Yes, he'll be fine. The doctor says Kakashi-sensei just needs plenty of rest but he'll be alright."

He nodded slowly, exhaling a small shaky breath. "I guessed as much." One hand came up and rested tentatively on the blanket. "But he didn't meet up with us yesterday…this morning too…and when we asked at the missions room, they said he was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night and…and so…I…we…" His hand curled around the blanket as his head bowed, suddenly unable to go on.

Iruka's eyes narrowed. He had a pretty good idea who the '_they'_ at the missions room were. Suddenly, the reason for Team 7's distress was all too clear.

Kotetsu and Izumo.

Those two loved teasing the genin. They had probably told Team 7 their jounin sensei was on his deathbed or something equally horrific, and that they had better hurry if they wanted to see him one last time.

But a quiet sense of joy filled Iruka as he looked at the bent dark head of the boy who stood beside him, the stricken expression on his youthful face made the precocious Uchiha appear closer to his actual young age than he had ever seemed.

Teachers shouldn't play favourites but it was obvious there was a special bond between Sasuke and Kakashi, much like Naruto and himself. Sasuke had been an excellent student while he was in his class. But there was a disturbing air of maturity about him as he approached all tasks with a chilling vengeful intensity. Moody and aloof, he seemed too wrapped up in his dark thoughts to spare any for others. Iruka had always been secretly worried that he could not reach the troubled child despite his best efforts during his Academy days. That level gaze, simmering with an expression too old and jaded for a face that had yet to lose all its baby fat, made the chunin frustratingly helpless.

So it eased his heart greatly to see the boy standing there, obvious concern for his teacher etched across the normally indifferent face. Iruka smiled, casting a grateful glance at the sleeping jounin, glad that Kakashi could connect with this boy when he had failed.

Team 7 was coming together beautifully.

"It's okay to be worried." He placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, squeezing gently. "No one ever wants to lose someone who's important to us, right?"

Sasuke swallowed and nodded, leaning for a brief moment against the schoolteacher's side like a normal child his age would do. But the moment passed and he straightened abruptly, shrugging Iruka's hand off rudely.

"Che!" His features settled into his usual expression of cool disinterest as he sought to cover his small lapse and show of emotions. "Yeah well, it'll be such a bother to have to switch to another teacher after getting used to this one." He said gruffly, glowering at Iruka out of the corner of his eyes as if daring him to say otherwise.

"Yes, that is true as well." Iruka conceded with a smile.

Sasuke looked sharply at him, apparently wary of underlying mockery or insult in the reply. When he found none, his expression softened and something akin to gratitude flashed briefly through his eyes.

"Hn." He shrugged, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Sticking one hand into the pocket of his shorts and waving the other carelessly in farewell, he walked over to the door. "Sakura can't handle dobe all by herself. I better go see what trouble he has gotten himself into before that idiot gets us all thrown out of the hospital."

That sounded almost fond. Iruka's smile widened as he watched the door swing shut behind the boy.

Yes, Team 7 was coming together beautifully indeed.

Author's note: Although I wouldn't go as far as to say that Sasuke is Kakashi's favourite student, I feel that he is the closest to his sensei-what with spending more time with him teaching him the Chidori and also some sort of counseling on occasion. Yeah, if Kakashi had been around when Sasuke was tempted into leaving the village, things might have turned out differently. I think Kakashi definitely saw the threat present in both Sasuke and Naruto but decided that the problem of Sasuke was more pressing and focused his attention accordingly. But on the whole, I feel Team 7 was growing closer (but sadly, we all know what happened anyway) and I thought I'll explore it a bit in this chapter…first time handling so many Naruto characters together in one scene (sweat)…my apologies if anyone was too clichéd or appallingly out of character. (wince)


	7. Rules of Friendship

Many apologies for how long it took for this chapter to be written. Anyway, this is the last chapter. A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review, all the comments have really helped encourage me through this story, especially at times when I felt I should give up on it entirely. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

And now, the concluding chapter…

**Rules of Friendship**

Iruka was still smiling after the boy when a voice, slightly hoarse and still muzzy with sleep, murmured.

"Good kids, all of them. Wouldn't have turned out so well if it weren't for you, you know, teaching them."

The chunin started, blushed; then turned around, crossing his arms with an exasperated huff. "Awake this whole time and didn't even try to help me out." He grumbled accusingly, but couldn't keep the relief from his face as he moved closer to stand by the bed. "Kakashi-sensei."

A pale blue eye cracked open and crinkled into a cheerful smile. "Yo." He beamed in greeting. "I thought you were doing just fine on your own, Iruka-sensei." He countered lightly, a teasing lit in his voice.

"Hmph. You could at least open your eyes and say 'hi'. The kids were pretty worried."

"Ah…that…" The jounin cleared his throat and averted his gaze, running a hand through his hair self-consciously. "Well…er…that is…"

_He's not used to dealing with concern from others, is he? _Iruka watched with growing amusement as Kakashi pushed himself up stiffly to sit in bed, glancing around momentarily with both eyes for his hitai-ate, seeming almost embarrassed as his eyes darted everywhere but at him.

"Why, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka grinned, pleased that for once, he was doing the teasing. "If I didn't know better, I'll say you were afraid to face your students."

"Then I suppose you do know me better." There was just the tiniest hint of petulance in his reply as he reached over and retrieved his hitai-ate from the bedside table, wincing a bit as he stretched the wound in his side.

Blinking at the strands of silver hair that fell over the metal plate into his eye, he glared at Iruka. "It's nothing. Kids worry too much these days." But there was a soft smile on his face as he twirled the stalk of daffodil carelessly in his hands, fingering the white petals, his eye distant and thoughtful.

Then, he frowned quizzically at Iruka. "What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

"That." Kakashi started to point at something on his face then gestured to his own face instead to demonstrate, one finger circling his masked cheek. "That cut. Where did you get it?"

Iruka touched the wound made by the wire trap the previous night. It wasn't very deep and after cleaning it out with water, he had forgotten all about it. But now, the mention of the scratch made him remember the complex traps and their tortuous arrangement, no more than sadistic mind-games designed with the sole purpose to frustrate.

He bristled. "Got caught by the trap outside your window when I was trying to get in last night." He said sourly, smoothing a finger over the cut and feeling out the newly scabbed skin.

"The secret wire one in the window sill?" Kakashi was entirely too cheerful. "Beautiful, isn't it? It's my favourite."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Yes, that one." He snapped.

"Hmmm…" Kakashi eyed the irritated chunin contemplatively for a moment, then his shoulders sagged, crestfallen. "How unfortunate." He sighed regretfully and Iruka thought he was going to apologize until he heard what the man had to say next.

"It was supposed to take out your eye."

"_What?_ Why you-!"

"Joking, Iruka-sensei. I was joking." The jounin soothed, holding his hands up in surrender, smiling in what Iruka supposed was meant to be an innocent manner. It reminded the chunin of his first encounter with Kakashi's strange, dark and entirely inopportune sense of humor at the chunin exam nominations.

It still made his head ache.

The vein was twitching against the side of his forehead again. He took a deep breath and willed his hands to unclench the fists they had formed. Kakashi had just woken from a collapse, he repeated to himself like a calming mantra. It was simply not right to shout at a patient, no matter how annoying he might be.

And annoyance soon gave way to concern when he saw how obviously unwell the jounin was.

Although Kakashi was all smiles and easy banter, Iruka couldn't help but notice the slow, careful way he had moved as he reached for his hitai-ate earlier. He frowned at the way the jounin sat in bed now, listed ever so slightly to one side as if he barely had the strength to remain upright.

Concern turned to alarm when the Copy Ninja broke into a bout of hacking coughs that left him shaking and curled over with breathlessness, a palm pressed against the metal plate of his hitai-ate in pain.

"Oh dear! Should I get the doctor? Or perhaps you should lie down? Maybe some water?" He flustered.

"Iruka-sensei." The jounin sounded way too amused when he recovered enough breath to speak. "_You _worry too much."

"I worry too much?" Iruka demanded, nerves still frazzled and temper rubbed short by the Kakashi's lackadaisical attitude. "_I_ worry too much?"

He propped a pillow up behind Kakashi, making him lean back and rest against it with a firm push and fixed the jounin with a lethal glare, taking in the usual bored one-eyed, half-lidded gaze and a total lack of concern in the jounin's expression.

That flippant attitude, that infuriating indifference…!

Suddenly, it was all too much for Iruka. His anxiety, Dr. Haruki's outburst and the worried faces of the children this morning simmered in his mind until they burst into a hot, indignant rage.

"Should I not have been _concerned_ when Naruto said you didn't show up? Should I not have _bothered_ to check up on you? Should I not have _worried_ for you? Stayed with you _all_ night to make sure you're alright?" He exploded, voice rising to a shout.

Kakashi froze. The single blue eye widened, fixed unwaveringly on him, glimmering with an unreadable emotion.

Then, between one heartbeat and the next, his eye shuttered. The face, which was difficult to read at the best of times, became completely devoid of emotions. Iruka could almost feel the barrier that he raised to shut himself off.

Something he said had hit home.

Kakashi bowed as well as he could, what with sitting in bed and a wound in his side. "I have inconvenienced you, Iruka-sensei." He said, with stiff formality. "It was very kind of you, but you should not have bothered."

"I apologize for being a nuisance and am deeply sorry for all the trouble I have caused you." He forced a smile at the schoolteacher. "I'm fine now. Please leave if you wish. I am very sorry to have wasted your time, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka bit back a growl and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. "That's not what I meant." He snapped, then deflated with a sigh, his anger cooling at the self-deprecating tone in Kakashi's voice.

"I'm sorry…I yell a lot at people when they're being stupid, genius jounin or otherwise." He cracked a smile, hoping to lighten the mood but faltered. "Ummm…I mean…you should take better care of yourself. Really, exhaustion and chakra depletion are not _nothing_. Even the students in my class knows everyone has limited reserves and-"

"And a person who does not monitor chakra usage responsibly is a danger to himself and his teammates." Kakashi parroted the phrase he had told Team 7 earlier right back at him, but not without a small smile to show he wasn't making fun of him. "However, chakra depletion is usually the least of our concerns out in the field, you know." He chided gently.

"Yes, but-" Iruka shook his head and sighed. "But you should have come straight to the hospital when you returned. What were you thinking?"

There was a long moment of awkward silence.

"But it's Tuesday." Kakashi said finally, his voice low and quiet.

"And?"

"We always meet for dinner on Tuesdays." He clasped his hands loosely together, a deceptively light-hearted gesture but the gravity of the statement was clear.

Iruka frowned, rubbing absently at the scar across his nose as he looked uncomprehendingly at his companion. The importance of the statement was completely lost on him. He knew the jounin and he viewed the world in very different ways, and the chunin had learnt that the best way to deal when he found himself confounded by Kakashi's unique brand of logic was to accept their differences and move on. But something was obviously troubling the man and Iruka struggled to make sense of it.

"There's always next week." He offered tentatively.

"I can't." Kakashi shook his head, dropping his gaze to stare at his laced fingers resting in his lap. "I've got another mission."

They're sending him out again? But he's barely recovered from this one. Iruka fretted but he made no comment. With the damage Konoha suffered from the unexpected attack during the chunin exams, everyone had been working doubly hard to restore the village.

"Well, I guess the next _next_ Tuesday then."

"You don't understand!" Kakashi looked up at him abruptly and the chunin was taken aback by the depth of emotions he saw in the blue eye. "I don't have many next Tuesdays left!"

Iruka stared at him, shocked. The Copy Ninja was usually calm and collected. Nothing ever seemed to faze the man. The schoolteacher didn't know whether to be surprised by the rare loss of composure or be worried at the implications of his remark.

Was the Hokage sending him on some secret suicide mission that he had little chance of returning from?

His insides turned to ice.

"W-What do you mean?" There was a tremor in his voice and his throat suddenly felt dry. He sank into the chair beside the bed and reached out to touch one of Kakashi's tightly clenched hands in a silent offer of comfort.

Kakashi did not look up. Tousled silver hair fell over his face and shadowed his eyes. For a long time, he did not speak and when he did, it was strained and halting, as if it took a great effort for him to make the admission.

"Children learn fast. Naruto and the others…they didn't do half bad in this chunin exams." He began slowly. "They may not pass this one, but the next chunin exam, I'm sure they will. And when they do, they'll no longer be my students."

"And we won't meet for Tuesday dinners anymore." His voice turned bitter and he gave a hollow sounding laugh. "There's no reason for two ex-teachers to meet…I'll have nothing to offer, no information about the kids…can't talk about my missions…there's nothing much left that you'll want to hear anyway. That's okay I guess…I mean I'm used to it but I do enjoy your company and-"

He caught himself rambling and closed his eye briefly for a moment to compose himself then looked up at Iruka with a falsely bright smile that was painful to see. "Maa, I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei, I don't know what came over me." Rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly, he struck a casual tone, trying to dismiss what he had unwittingly disclosed. "Please ignore all the nonsense I've said."

Iruka was stunned; he didn't know whether to laugh at Kakashi's ridiculous logic or to be insulted that Kakashi thought he had agreed to the dinners only because he wanted to know about the children. He sat staring at the jounin, amazed that the normally self-assured, elite shinobi was sounding as socially awkward and insecure as any child in his class.

But that was exactly what it was, wasn't it? Just as Naruto wanted people to acknowledge him and he himself had tried to find recognition through pranks in his younger days, Kakashi too was seeking for acceptance.

Not as an elite shinobi, but as a human. A human capable of emotions and in need of friendship.

Things a shinobi can never show.

Kakashi was still smiling at him, a stoic bracing smile of a person who had too many things gone wrong in his life. A smile that was brittle at the edges but with a core of quiet strength built on a tenuous hope that the future might hold better things if one could just find a way go on. Despite the false cheer, he looked forlorn. Exhaustion and the pain from the wounds had chipped tiny cracks into his unruffled façade to reveal a raw vulnerability he seldom showed.

Pity filled his heart and Iruka was overcome by a sudden, irrational urge to give the man a hug. But he could not pity a man who was obviously strong enough to survive all the miseries life had dished out to him. Nor can he hope to comfort a hurt this old and this deep with a hug as he could with the children.

So he pursed his lips and pretended to give the matter serious thought. "It's true. We'll have no reason to meet on Tuesdays if they're no longer your students…"

Kakashi looked away, pretending to pick nonchalantly at a loose thread on the blanket, but his shoulders sagged just the slightest bit further.

"But friends can meet anytime."

"Friends?" All pretenses at being unaffected were abandoned as Kakashi's head whipped around to look at him. His blue eye was wide and filled with wonder. "Are we friends?"

Holding back a chuckle at the earnest expression and almost child-like question, Iruka considered the question with mock seriousness. "Let me see." He said solemnly as he counted off with his fingers. "Do I worry about you when you're away on missions? Yes. Do I care enough to check on you when you didn't show up? Yes, I think we've just established that. Do I enjoy your company? I believe that's a yes as well."

"Now, in my considerable experience at making friends, I have to conclude that yes, we are indeed friends." He informed the jounin gravely, then quirked an eyebrow in challenge at him. "Unless, you have some reason to think we're not?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and stared at the ceiling for a moment as though he might find the answer there. "Hmmm…" He hummed thoughtfully. "I must admit I am unfamiliar with the intricacies of making friends, so I would have to respect your esteemed authority on this matter Iruka-sensei."

He looked at Iruka then, breaking into a wide smile, his grin mischievous but his eye was dark with seriousness, deeply moved. "So yes, we are indeed friends."

Iruka laughed. Instinctively, they both reached out and clasped hands in the age-old gesture of brotherhood, grinning madly at each other like a pair of fools. Warmth touched his heart as he looked at the genuine joy in Kakashi's smile, the grip of his hand strong and firm in his.

In the next instant, the moment passed and the jounin was suddenly looking unsure and abashed, as if unexpectedly overwhelmed and uncertain what to do next.

"Tired. Sleep now." He announced, promptly lying down, drawing the blankets around himself and curling on his side, refusing to deal with this 'making friends' business which was obviously strange and unfamiliar to him.

The schoolteacher smiled and shook his head a little in despair. Could he ever understand this odd dear friend of his? He thought fondly.

"Fine. Do that. But I'll be back to visit in the evening." He warned, in case Kakashi thought he didn't mean what he had said.

A loud, exaggerated snore answered him.

With a huff, Iruka rolled his eyes and prepared to leave. He had one foot out of the door when he heard it, spoken so softly as if it wasn't meant for him to hear.

"Thank you, Iruka. Thank you for everything."

The chunin smiled to himself and closed the door quietly behind him.

_Anytime, my friend…anytime._

**The End**

Author's notes: Okay, so that's the end. I hope this story has provided some amusement and enjoyment for everyone. On a side note, I had a "Kakashi moment" the other day. (wry smile) I just moved to a new country to attend school so being in a completely new place, I have next to no friends in the first few weeks. We had to register with the student health office and this was what happened.

I gave the nurse my contact number, then she said "Ok, give me another number." and I looked at her blankly.

"You know, the number of a friend or someone we can contact in case there's an emergency."

At that moment, I had a flashback to this story because I couldn't, for the life of me, think of a person who might want to be informed if something should happen to me. (laugh) So there I was, frantically running through the few names of classmates I've met over the past few days in my mind, while the nurse was staring at me impatiently, but with increasing sympathy.

"Anyone at all?" She asked gently and oh, I was so embarrassed and apologetic, and just gave her the first name and phone number that came to my mind.

Later, I met the classmate and apologized profusely for using her as a contact when I haven't asked her permission first and if she minded terribly? She gave me the oddest look like I've grown an extra head and said "Of course not!"

Seems like I've made friends without knowing it as well…(sheepish grin)


End file.
